Head Coach Jim Haslett December 3

Rams Head Coach Jim Haslett

December 3, 2008

(Opening Remarks)

“Injury wise, (DE) Victory Adeyanju has a neck (injury) and he was limited today. He’ll be day-to-day. We’ll see how he goes. (LB) Chris Draft practiced today with his broken foot, I thought he did ok, we’ll see how he is tomorrow. (CB) Tye Hill was running on the side, but he still…we’ll have to make a decision on him pretty soon. I think that’s the three major ones.”

(On if G Richie Incognito is ok and if he had to take a psyche test)

“Yeah (he’s ok). No, he didn’t have to take one, he’s fine, he practiced today, he did fine.”

(On if they will have to keep WR Donnie Avery out to rest)

“He sat, he did all the walk-throughs, he did individual walk-through and then we took him out of all the team stuff. Him and (WR) (Keenan) Burton and (WR) Torry (Holt) was limited. We tried to give the receivers a break today; they’ve been running a lot.”

(On CB Tye Hill’s injury)

“Well, we have to make a decision. Him sitting around doing nothing, this is week six and sooner or later you have to get back on the field. He’s been hurt for, this is what, he missed eight games last year and he’s going to miss 10 games this year and another 12 games this year, that’s a lot of games.”

(On if he thinks RB Steven Jackson is full-go)

“I think you have to have to ask him, so we don’t have a conflict here, but he looked fine to me today. I thought he was fine.”

(On if he plans on giving RB Steven Jackson more touches this Sunday)

“Yeah, I think they’ll be more. We’ll sit down, based on how he feels this week, we’ll try to give him…he looked good to me today, so we’ll add some of the reps based off how he feels. But he’ll get back in the swing of things full-go here. I thought he looked pretty good today.”

(On how much it means to the team to have RB Steven Jackson on the field)

“He’s a great football player. Any time you lose a player, he’s probably the best player on our football team, if you lose a guy like that and it means a lot to you. It means a lot to your offense obviously, and it means a lot to your defense because it keeps them off the field. You saw the results last week; I thought the defense played better, obviously, when you play less time. And it helps special teams because the field position. We said it from day one that for us to win games Steven has to do a great job of running the football along with ‘Pitt’ (RB Antonio Pittman) and (RB) (Ken) Darby as a compliment and (QB) Marc (Bulger) has to manage the game well.”

(On if he talked to RB Steven Jackson about the comment he made in the locker room last Sunday)

“Yeah, I talked to him about it. He thought I was questioning his conditioning and I watched him condition the whole month that he wasn’t practicing. He was in the pool, he was biking, he was jogging and doing all the things, so I monitored that, I know that. Now, what I meant was his leg was, you know, he hasn’t run on the leg and it was getting tired. You could tell, but I thought he looked good today.”

(On if it’s a possibility that RB Steven Jackson was sensitive because he pointed out earlier that his injury is a result of missing training camp)

“I don’t know that. It’s hard for to answer. I don’t know if he’s sensitive in those areas. He did work hard the month he was out on his conditioning, so I’d probably have to agree with him on that standpoint because we did watch that and I did monitor that. I worked him out personally the one time, so he’ll be fine.”

(On the wide receivers not getting open in games)

“I think its a couple things. One, if we can loosen up the secondary you have to have a great running game, so that’s number one. I thought the line did a great job protecting them last week. We did a lot of three-man routes, so they were doubling people. I’ve never seen a team get doubled as much as we do either being on the outside guys, so I think once we get full-go and Steven’s running, he’s getting his 30 touches a game, or 25, 30 touches a game, it’ll loosen the secondary up and we’ll get the one-on-one that we need to get.”

(On LB Chris Draft’s quick recovery)

“You know what and I said this after the game, I’ll go back to (T) Orlando Pace the guy’s supposed to be a three-four week injury, two-four week injury, he comes back in six days. Chris Draft has a broken foot, he’s supposed to be six weeks, he comes back in two weeks. So, if nothing else, it shows you some of the character you have on the team with some of the players. Now, it’s not equating into wins enough, but it does show you at the end of the year when you’re evaluating your football team what kind of guys you want to have on your team. Those are the kind of guys you like to have.”

(On if LB Chris Draft is healthy enough to play)

“Yes, he will start. He’ll start at the Mike linebacker, middle linebacker, not at the Sam where he’s been playing.”

(On if LB Chris Draft doesn’t have a setback if he’ll start)

“If he feels good tomorrow and feel that he’s ready to go, then he’ll be the Mike this week.”

(On the defense playing better when LB Chris Draft is on the field)

“He brings a lot of leadership to the group, number one. I think he brings a calmness to the group because he’s smart and he can play any position and he can get people lined up, so when team’s that are hard to defend from the standpoint of getting the linemen their shifts and motions and all that, Chris is kind of the calming effect, he gets people lined up in the right spots and he does a great job. That’s why we inserted him earlier in the season to settle the defense down. We have a lot of young guys out there; he does a great job of handling all those people.”

(On if he’s going to try to work in LB Chris Chamberlain, T John Greco and S Todd Johnson into the lineup this week)

“Yeah, we’re still going to try to work those guys in. I thought Todd did a good job, he didn’t have a lot of reps, but he had some. Greco played a lot; I thought he did a nice job in pass protection. We’re going to work Chris Chamberlain in some this week, so you’ll see him on the field so we get a look at him before the seasons out. We’re going to play him at Sam, going to play him at the strong side, so we’re kind of moving some guys around a little bit.”

(On if he counsels the players on what they do in public and if he carried a gun when he played in the NFL)

“No, I never packed, I don’t even like guns. I kind of stay away from them. I teach my kids if there’s some in the house, you go to a family’s home and they got a gun that’s not in a locked case, then to get out of the house because I think they’re dangerous, I don’t think its right. We do talk to our players about it. I talked to them today about the situation. I don’t understand, me personally and being an ex-player, a guy out 2 a.m. when I know you have practice on a Saturday. And you’re still an hour away from home. When you’re in Manhattan (NY) you have an hour to back to (New) Jersey, there’s a lot of things I don’t understand. We talked about it today to the players because we’re going to be on the road this week. We’re leaving Friday to go to Arizona, we have a 1 a.m. curfew, we get in at 7:30 (p.m.), so these guys have time to go out to eat and kind of relax and enjoy themselves. I talked to those guys about that today and they have to be smart. You’ve got the whole world watching you right now and the National Football League’s watching you. I trust our guys that’s one thing. One thing we have, we have some good character players on this team, so I trust them to do the right thing.”

(On if as a head coach he worries about players getting into trouble the night before a game)

“We did it a little different down there (in New Orleans), but not the night before the game. You always worry about Friday or a Monday night when they get a chance to relax. Training camp (if) guys do have guns, they’re required to turn them in. At least down in New Orleans you had to turn them in because it was amazing guys would have them. I used to look at them like wow, I never touched them, I had the security guy take them and lock them up. But some guys feel they need protection.”

(On players turning in their guns at training camp)

“Yeah, if they’re carrying and it has to be registered in whatever state you’re in.”

(On if players brought guns to training camp in Mequon, WI. this year)

“I don’t think we had one.”

(On comparing the players turning in their guns to grade school teachers taking toys from students)

“That’s different.”

(On the players suspended for steroid use today)

“I don’t like commenting on some of these things because I don’t know the situation with (Vikings) Pat (Williams) and (Vikings) Kevin (Williams). Three of the guys I did have in New Orleans and I know those guys; they’re not taking steroids I promise you that and they’re not trying to hide anything. With (Saints) Deuce (McAllister) and (Saints) Charles (Grant) it’s always been a weight issue and they always try to keep their weight down, so they were probably taking something trying to keep their weight down, but I’m not speaking for them because I don’t know that. But when I was with them at the time, I know they were trying to do the right things, but those guys have weight issues. We try to do the right thing here and we have a nutrition bar that we have going. We put the products that the NFL licensed in there, EAS Sports and we do that. Also, some players have stuff through Ava Care. They bring their products in, so everything that we have in this building has been okayed by the NFL. And if they take something outside the building, they’re required, we tell them to call the trainer and get it and find out if it’s on the list or there’s a website they can go on and look. We try to tell them not take anything outside the building, don’t buy anything outside the building. We have everything. We have protein, we have vitamins, we have recovery drink, we have everything they need inside the building. They really don’t need anything outside that bar area.”

(On if the team can take anything they learned from the game against Arizona earlier this season and apply it to this game)

“Don’t turn the ball over, number one, because it’s going to kill you. And if you get a chance to make opportunities to make plays, you have to make them. I thought the turnovers led to 10 points early. We did a good job and then Jon (Wade) had a chance to keep it 10-7 or 10-10 at halftime, but we dropped an interception and they got a touchdown. There were a lot of good things you can take from the game that you can work on, but really they have a great offense, they’re going to move the ball some, they move it on everybody, they score points, so we’re going to have to be patient, we’re going to have to play great in the red zone on defense. Offensively, we’re going to have to score some points because they’re number one in the league, they’re averaging about 27 points a game and if you want to play with them you’re going to have to score some points. Our guys know that field goals aren’t going to win this game, we’re going to have to score touchdowns.”

(On if he expects Arizona to be more fired up because they have a chance to win the NFC West title this week)

“Well, they had a chance last week to get over the hump too. I think our goal is to go in and try to not let them win the championship. They’ve done a good job over the years accumulating players. (Arizona Head Coach) Ken’s (Whisenhunt) done a good job with the team, running the offense and getting those guys that are high-powered guys scoring points. This will be a great challenge for us to try to go in there and limit that.”

(On if he thinks Arizona is the team to beat in the division this season)

“I said at the beginning of the year that I thought Arizona was going to be the best team in the league just because of all the players they had, they way they played at the end of the year. The way (Steve) Breaston’s come on. They really have four pretty good receivers. They’ve done a good job of drafting players in the last three of four years.”

(On if the players still have the confidence to win games)

“That’s something you have to ask them, I think they do. They come out to practice and they practice hard and they do the things it takes to win. So, somehow it has to equate to the field. We have to do the right things on the field. You can’t turn the ball over, number one, and then when you have a chance to win the game, you have to take that opportunity and seize it and we haven’t done that.”

(On Arizona’s recent losses)

“They got behind last week and they were playing catch up and the game before that they were moving the ball down the field. They really want to get the receivers on the field and they have good football players that are receivers, so they’re trying to get they’re best players out there. I think (RB) (Tim) Hightower’s a good football player, he ran well against us. We did some things that we trying to take away their receivers and they caught us on a couple runs and I think we’re going to have to be careful this time. We’re going to have to make sure that we stop the run, but you always have to account for the good receivers. They have two great receivers.”

(On T Orlando Pace and C Brett Romberg’s play last week)

“Well, Orlando was outstanding. He did a great job on Joey (Porter). Romberg was rusty the first time he played a couple weeks ago I thought he got better this week. Shotgun snaps were excellent, pass protection was excellent, we have to get the run game all squared away and I think he’ll be even better this week. Just having Orlando back, obviously, that helps; it kind of picked up. (G) Richie’s (Incognito) been playing good football. (T) (John) Greco came in and played good. (G) Jacob (Bell) played one of his better games this last week. So, hopefully it’s coming together. We did some good things on offense last week. We did have 130-yards rushing, we were 50 percent on third down, but we didn’t score any touchdowns. When you’re 50 percent on third down and you run for 130 yards, you should be able to score a couple touchdowns.”

(On if play calling changes if T Orlando Pace is playing on the offensive line)

“Well, not so much Orlando, more the running back, than anything. You run plays based off what the runners are good at or what they like, so not so much up front.”

(On if he’s surprised with RB Ken Darby’s progress)

“Darby’s a great pass protector. For a guy that was picked off the practice squad, he’s got good running skills, he’s tough as nails and he’s a really good pass protector. So, I like Ken. That’s a great find. We have a couple guys that we’ve picked off the practice squad. We were talking about it the other day, we said, “We picked up Darby off the practice squad, turned out to be pretty good. (TE) (Daniel) Fells is coming on like we thought. I think (Executive President/Player Personnel) Billy’s (Devaney) done a good job of locating some guys on team’s practice squad that have panned out for us. They’re going to pan out too, they’re going to get better and better.”

QB Marc Bulger

December 3, 2008

(On if NFL players are targets for trouble)

“No. You definitely are going to have more attention, but you put yourself in those situations. If you carry a gun into public and something like this happens, I am sure he did not mean for it to happen, you have to be aware of that.”

(On how he feels)

“I feel pretty good. I am not having any side effects from the concussion. Besides from being a little sick, I feel pretty good at this point into the season.”

(On what he saw in the game footage from last week’s game against the Miami Dolphins)
“We left some plays out there and I wish I had a throw back. At the same time, after Monday we put that behind us and started getting ready for Arizona. We can’t change anything and we can’t worry about last week. We have to move forward.”

(On if last week’s game was the worst he has played as a professional)

“No I don’t think so.”

(On any changes that will be made going against a team for the second time)

“It is one of those situations where you want to change a little but the things that you did good, are the things they are going to prepare for. They did a lot of things good and we assume that they are going to do that. They are going to change a little and it is a cat and mouse game. It is like the first game of the year, you don’t want to put a lot of thought into last season because they are going to change. That just goes with playing divisional games but I think at this point in the season, people do what they do. They do a lot of things and obviously (S) (Adrian) Wilson is their playmaker. They are going to bring him down into the box and they are going to blitz him. He is what makes that defense go and we have to be aware of where he is at all times.”

(On if the wide receivers are getting open)
“Every week is different and they did a good job of covering us. Like I said, I don’t want to harp on Miami. We have a big game this week.”

(On scoring touchdowns in the redzone)
“Right now, that is our Achilles heel and putting up three points is not good enough. If there is one answer, we would do it or try to do it. We know we have to get in better situations. We have to be able to run the ball in the redzone and we can’t take penalties. There are so many factors and we are shooting ourselves in the foot. We are not playing good football simple as that. There are a million different excuses but none of them are valid.”

(On the struggles on offense the past two seasons)
“I think our line is playing better this year. You can tell when (RB) Steven (Jackson) is playing and when he is not. He is that guy that can get things going and the more we have him on a week-to-week basis, we can feed off of him. Unfortunately, he has been banged up the past two years and that kind of messes up our momentum.”

(On going against QB Kurt Warner)
“Knowing (QB) Kurt (Warner), he prepares very well every week. Whether they are in a position that we are in right now or if he could win a division, he would prepare the same. We have our hands full with him and every team does because he is having a great year. I know what kind of player he is and he prepares great every week, not just this week.”

LB Chris Draft

December 3, 2008

(On how his foot felt today)

“I felt pretty good today. I got a good amount of work in. I just have to feel out how it feels tonight. Last week I got some really good running in. We tried to push, but it was just the first week and it wasn’t exactly right here because last Monday was the first day I ran. I got a good week of conditioning under me and it felt pretty good today.”

(On if he feels he is ready to play on Sunday)

“If I feel good, they’re going to let me go out there and make some plays. That’s what it is. I got a good test today and tomorrow I’ll be able to test that thing again and really feel good about it.”

(On playing middle linebacker)

“I’ve played that before. I’ve played all three positions. I’m not really worried as much about that as much as getting a feel for where I’m at. I’ve played middle at times, even in preseason. I played ‘Will’ last year and this year I played the ‘Sam.’ It doesn’t really matter about which position, it’s really more about… I’m feeling pretty good.”

(On what it felt like not being able to play due to injury)

“It was kind of torture, but where I had to concentrate my game the last four weeks was to really make sure that I stayed healthy and be able to give my insight to the other linebackers in terms of what we can do to get a win on that field. There’s only so much you can do, but you have to focus. That was my win. My win was to get as much treatment as possible, being honest about how I feel and being able to get myself back.”

CB Ron Bartell

December 3, 2008

(On comparing Cardinals receivers Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald)

“(Anquan) Boldin is a 6’1” 225-pound running back that can catch the football. (Larry) Fitzgerald is a deep-ball guy who can go over the top of you and embarrass you. Both of them can embarrass you. They compliment each other so well. I think, hands down, they are the best two in the league right now if you add in Kurt Warner the way he is playing right now. It just makes it a tough matchup. Like I said, it’s hard to keep them from catching the ball because of the way they use them, so you just have to limit the amount of yards they get after the catch.”

(On if having a chance to clinch the division will be an added incentive for the Cardinals)

“I don’t know if it gives them more incentive. I think they’ve clinch the division no matter what happens. I think everybody has an incentive to play. I have an incentive to play just like everybody else in this locker room. When you’re 2-10, your job is on the line so you definitely have an incentive to play, but their perspective, I can see how they are looking at it too. If they want to clinch, they want to do it against us. Hopefully, we go out there and don’t let it happen.”

(On if the team can take anything out of last week’s loss to Miami)

“That we played together for the first time in a long time. Guys were where they were supposed to be, hustled, tackled. You never want to take too much out of a loss, but when you look at it all and all, I think we play pretty decent as a defense compared to how we played the last couple of games, so if we can take that and improve, I think we’ll be alright.”

(On if Cardinals QB Kurt Warner could be the MVP)

“If he is, hopefully he doesn’t clinch it against us. If they keep doing what they’ve been doing, why not? He’s played great.”

Arizona Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt

December 3, 2008

(On his season so far)
“It has been up and down. We have gone on some streaks where we won a few games and we have lost two in a row and we came back. It has been up and down. We have had periods we have played well and that has been exciting.”

(On the possibility of clinching the NFC West this weekend)
“It is always exciting to have a chance to get into the playoffs. It is a very difficult thing to do in this league and we are excited to have a chance to do that. We also recognize that the Rams are going to be a tough opponent. Anytime you play a divisional game, especially in a game like this, they are going to give you their best shot.”

(On if the community is excited about the Cardinals making the playoffs)

“I think the community is very excited about that. I think it is not something that has happen since the team has been in Arizona and there have been a number of years where we have just been out of it at this time of the year. I think that, even though we are disappointed because of the last two games, our fans are still excited about us having the opportunity to win the division and getting into the playoffs.”

(On the possibility of having the first home playoff game in Arizona in over 50 years)
“I am excited for our team first and for most because they have put in the hard work. It has been a difficult schedule this year just from the standpoint of all the travel and the teams that we played. I am excited for the community because we have had great support from our fans especially at out home games. I think it would be something special to have the opportunity to do that at home.”

(On how dangerous the St. Louis Rams are)
“I think they have a number of playmakers on that football team. They have some good young players especially (DE) Chris Long. I think he is doing a nice job and has really improved since the last time we played them. (DE) Leonard Little is always a problem off the edge and (RB) Steven Jackson looks like he is playing a lot better. He looks like his normal, scary self. I don’t ever underestimate this quarterback because he can light you up when he gets hot. They have a number of weapons especially with those young receivers that have been dynamic for them this year. They certainly get you concerned.”

(On RB Travis Hightower)
“We made the switch because we wanted some opportunities to have some long runs. We did that in the St. Louis game the first time. We had some plays that were longer then what we had done here before. He was somebody that worked very hard as a young player and shown the ability to be successful in the situations that we put him in earlier games. We felt at that time, it would be something that would help our running game. He had a good game in that game but we certainly haven’t run the ball very well since then. That is one of the areas that we are trying to improve on.”

(On how exciting it is to clinch the division at home)
“It would be exciting for us but it also would be exciting for our fans. I have seen clips of this team and the last time they went to the playoffs and they won a game at the end of the season. Just the excitement that I saw for that tape and from what I have heard from people, it would be a very exciting time if we were able to do that.”

(On when did he watch the NFL video of the Arizona Cardinals)
“It was one of the things that I saw when I first got here. It was just talking about when they made the field goal to put them into the playoffs back in 1998. Just the excitement that you saw in the stands and on the sidelines from the NFL clips of it. You could just tell that there was a tremendous amount of excitement and from what I have heard from people about the way the city responded at that time just makes me think that it would be very exciting for the city if we could do that.”

(On if he has shown the video to the team)
“They have seen those tapes before and it is not something that we dwelled on this year. When we first got in here last year just as far as some of the highlight films that we showed, they have seen that because this is something significant to this franchise and that was that they did make the playoffs here. There haven’t been a number of highlights in the years past so, yes, they have seen that.”

(On if QB Kurt Warner is playing at an MVP level this year)
“I believe he is. Just from a standpoint statistically, I think he qualifies for that and from what he has done for our football team. How he has managed our football team in certain situations and played well on a team that has had a fairly good season. I think he deserves some consideration for that.”

(On the Arizona Cardinals finishing strong to end the regular season)
“It helped to have a break after the Thursday night game even though that was a disappointing game. It was nice to give our players a break to get away from it and I think that helps you focus for the stretch and the last four games. We are trying to play better football and we played to good football teams and it was a tough two game stretch in 10 days. I think we are working on rebounding from that and getting back to what we have been doing well this season.”

(On S Adrian Wilson)
“I think he does a number of good things for us. As far as having the ability to get back in coverage and make some plays on the ball and he is a dynamic pass rusher inside or outside because of his size and speed. He has a very good knack for finding the holes and exploding through them. (S) Adrian (Wilson) is a dynamic player for us and he has had a very good season for us this year. Hopefully, he will continue at that level for us this week.”

(On playing against the NFC East)
“It is a pretty good division. When I was in the AFC North a few years ago, it was a pretty good division and they have a lot of similarities because all the teams are playoff teams and any given week, they are as good of a team as there is out there.”

Cardinals QB Kurt Warner

December 3, 2008

(On how he feels the Cardinals’ season has gone so far)

“I feel like our season has been going great so far. Expectations coming in were fairly high and the idea was to try and win our division and get into the playoffs and see what we could do from that standpoint. We’re still in great position to do that. Obviously, there is a still a long way to go and a lot of football to be played. We’re excited about where we are at, at this point in time and the way we’ve competed this year in just about every game. We’re excited and we’re building. That’s the thing. We know we’re not there yet, but we’re building, we’re making progress and we’ve built on what we started last year and we’re excited about that.”

(On if it would be special to clinch the division title against his old team)

“Not really. It’s kind of a new time in a new place. My time there was special and I’m hoping to do some special things here as well. Winning the division would be the start of it, but I have really have no feelings in that regard when it comes to winning the division here and having done it against St. Louis, if we win this weekend. That’s not my motivation. My motivation is to help this team win and that’s it.”

(On he gets a sense of excitement from fans in the area about the playoffs)

“There’s definitely a lot more excitement here this year than at any time since I’ve been around. I think we’re putting a good product on the football field. We’re fun to watch, we’re competitive and like you said, there’s a great chance for the playoffs this year. All of that being said, there’s a lot more excitement around this place than ever before and it’s fun to be a part of. It reminds me a little bit of St. Louis in those early years when there hadn’t been a lot of success there and it wasn’t much of a football town at the time. To be able to change that culture a little bit and have people excited about the games, filling up stadium, doing the tailgating and all that stuff, it’s fun to be a part of. That’s the same kind of transition that we’re seeing here and it’s been fun.”

(On if he finds himself pinching himself on the career that he’s had)

“I don’t know about pinching myself, but I do recognize very often, I don’t know if I’ll say a daily basis, but very often how blessed I am and how lucky and fortunate that I’ve been with a number of different things. Starting with my time in St. Louis and my opportunity there and the great success we had there all the way up to this point where, although a lot of people wanted to write me off a number of different times, that I’ve got another chance and been able to play some good football and help another organization kind of turn the corner. I think that’s been one of the things that I’m most proud of that with all three organizations that I’ve been with, I’ve helped to turn the corner with them. Whether it be St. Louis, or even the Giants in one year. In my first seven games, we won more games than they did the whole year before. Then here, to be on the verge of a playoff appearance which they haven’t done here in a long time, a division title, which has been even longer. I’m very thankful for the opportunities that I’ve had and the blessings that have surrounded me and I do recognize that very often.”

(On if it is gratifying to have his name mentioned in MVP talks seven years after he won his second MVP)

“There’s obviously some gratification that comes just being recognized in the same sentence as the MVP. As you said, at this point in time, wondering if I ever would get the opportunity to be back in this position leading a football team and then to be in this position and to have a chance to play and really play football the way that I’m accustomed to playing football and having that success again. There’s definitely gratification in it. It’s fun to know that the hard work and the perseverance has paid off to whatever degree. That’s not about winning an award and that’s not why you play the game, just to have people recognize that you can still play and still play at a high level, is very gratifying, especially for me at this point in my career.”

(On if he feels that he is playing as well now as he has at any point in his career)

“I do. I feel like I’m playing as well, I won’t ever say better. There were some great times in St. Louis, there were some great years surrounded by some great guys. I don’t know if I can ever say better, but I feel like I’m playing with as much confidence now as I ever have. I feel like I’m making good decisions. I’m seeing the field as well as I ever have. I feel like I’m playing as good as I’ve ever played in my career and it’s fun, because it has been a while since I’ve been on the field and playing football this way. It’s fun to have these last couple seasons and really be able to go out there feel good about what you’re doing on the field.”

(On what it would mean to him to win an MVP with the Arizona Cardinals)

“I think the biggest thing is that it would mean our team is getting recognized for what we did on the football field. The MVP and the voting and all of that, we all know it’s a little bit skewed in regards to stats are a huge part of it and all of those things that go into it. Certain positions obviously seem to dominate that. What I do know is that very seldom does an individual win it if his team is not having success and if he doesn’t have guys around him that are playing at a high level. I’ve always looked at the MVP award as not just an individual accomplishment, but a team’s accomplishment and then one of their figure-heads being represented by that award. If that were to happen, it would mean to me that there’s gratification in the fact that this team is finally getting recognized as whole for what we’re doing.”

(On what it’s like to throw to the receivers he has in Arizona)

“The key is that we obviously have a great scheme and do some good things about putting them in the position, but I think the key is that we have a number of good wide receivers. We have Larry (Fitzgerald) and Anquan (Boldin) and then you add Steve (Breaston) to the mix and Jerheme (Urban). Similar to the situation in St. Louis is that when you have that many guys that are that good, it’s hard to cover them all. It’s hard to be able to put enough players on the field to feel comfortable covering each one of them. My job becomes deciphering where the best matchups are or where the best route combinations are versus a particular coverage. Knowing that, I know that I’ve got guys that are going to make plays if I get the ball to them. That’s what’s fun about it, they are talented enough that you have to worry about them on every snap. With the scheme, it affords the opportunity to get them in positions where they can win and make big plays on almost every down.”

(On if he is surprised to see the Rams at 2-10)

“Always. Just knowing a number of the players there and the quality of players that are there and the number of coaches I know. It very much surprises me. I think the one thing that you realize in this game is that so much of this game is a game of inches. Teams that could be 10-2 or teams that could be 2-10, there might not be a great deal of separation between them. It just happens that one made a few more plays at the end of games than the other one, so it always surprises you, especially with the talent that we know is there that they are sitting at that position. What I do know is that they are going to battle and continue to fight and continue to try to turn it around because there’s too many great players there and great individuals that they’re going to continue to battle for the rest of the year.”

(On if there have been some contract talks for next year)

“I haven’t heard anything yet. I haven’t really thought about it. I don’t know if I anticipate anything, really. That’s, I guess, for another day and another time. I don’t really know what my future is and at this point in time I’m not extremely concerned about it. We’ll figure it out in the offseason and obviously a big part of that is going to be what the Cardinals feel are their plans for the future and how I fit into that. We’ll take it as it comes, but at this point in time, we’re more worried about this season than anything else.”

(On if his plan has changed regarding how many more years he would like to play)

“I don’t know if it’s really changed. I’m not really sure. Obviously, there are moments when you’re playing and you’re having success and you’re competing for the playoffs and all of that where you just say to yourself, ‘I can’t give it up now. I feel like there’s too much to offer and too much in front of us.’ But there’s also moments too where I look back, as we’ve already talked about, and I reflect on the amazing career that I’ve had and the great season that I’ve had this year and to, so to speak, get back on top. Along with a lot of the other things that I want to do along with some of the other pressures that come with the position, that there are moments when I could see myself walking away as well. I really don’t know. I would probably lean towards that fact if I had to make a decision right now, probably coming back, just because we are having fun and accomplishing things and we’re making progress. That’s not to say that things can’t change in the next four to five weeks. That’s probably where I’m leaning right now, but I’m just going to weigh everything again when the season is over and a lot of it will be dictated by my situation here, because I don’t really want to go anywhere else and play anywhere else if I could help it.”